25th June - Whiteley Wood and Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

Back home and meeting Ian for a visit to Whiteley Woods an expanse of woods that sits around a shopping centre, a business estate and new housing.  The weather was partially sunny with a very fresh breeze which took the edge off the temperature.  We were here for the butterflies, with June now coming to an end the butterfly season switches over to the high powered specialties, the Silver-washed Fritillaries, the White Admirals and maybe the biggy of all the Purple Emperor.  It may be a little too early for the Emperor, but we did expect to find the others.

Walking down the main path we were taken by the number of Common Spotted Orchids on both sides of the track.

The sun would come and go and overnight there had been quite a bit of rain, so as we left the nice graveled path and fought our way through a bramble covered grass path we got soaked.  The inconvenience was worth it though as we reached an open area with plenty of bramble in flower and as the sun came out we found the first Silver-washed Fritillary of the day.

The first one was slightly damaged, but it soon became apparent that there were several others that were in pristine condition.

The swooping flight of this large and graceful butterfly is one of the most beautiful sights to be found in woodland during high summer. A large fast flying butterfly, separated from other fritillaries by its pointed wings and silver streaks on the undersides which can be viewed as it stops to feed on flowers such as Bramble.

Although the butterfly is seen mostly in sunny glades and rides, it actually breeds in the shadier parts of adjacent woodland.

A different take

In the same area there were at least three White Admiral as well.

The White Admiral has white-banded black wings and a distinctive delicate flight, which has short periods of wing beats followed by long glides. It could be confused with the larger Purple Emperor.

Adults are often found nectaring on Bramble flowers in rides and clearings. It is a fairly shade-tolerant butterfly, flying in dappled sunlight to lay eggs on Honeysuckle.

As well as the two main events there were other butterflies enjoying the sun and shelter from the wind.  My first Large Skipper of the year.

And at least three Commas, maybe more

An immaculate Red Admiral that was probably just emerged

Of course the Meadow Brown

A Small Skipper, the first of the year.

Another first of the year, the Ringlet

When newly emerged, the Ringlet has a velvety appearance and is almost black, with a white fringe to the wings. The small circles on the underwings, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size and maybe enlarged and elongated or reduced to small white spots; occasionally they lack the black ring. They are a dark brown butterfly and similar to male Meadow Brown

Bramble and Wild Privet flowers are favourite nectar sources, and adults continue to fly with a characteristic bobbing flight in dull, cloudy conditions when most other butterflies are inactive.

The tall thistle plants are the flowers that you look for the Silver-washed to nectar on.  Some can reach above head height and this means you can almost photograph the butterfly as it nectars from below.  One of the Silver-washed duly obliged.

Here showing off the silver streaks and wash on the under wing that gives the butterfly its name

The undersides of the White Admiral are in complete contrast to the black-and-white upper sides, and are surely one of the most beautiful of all species found in the British Isles.

Some more of the Silver-washed Fritillary.

We had seen a possible Brown Hawker, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly and Broad-bodied Chaser but none of this stopped to allow confirmation of identity or a photograph.  However we did manage to find both sexes of the Beautiful Demoiselle.

Mainly found along streams and rivers, usually with sandy or gravel bottoms so the area here is a little unusual for them.  They are a large metallic looking damselfly that flies with fluttering wings not unlike a butterfly.

The male has a dark metallic blue body and wings:

The female has a metallic green bronze body and translucent brown wings.

We wandered up and down the main path staring at the oak and sallow trees.  The wind was quite fresh and not really conducive to finding Purple Emperors and we didn't, so it was back to the cars, and off to the next stop, Old Winchester Hill.

Eating lunch in that car park there was a sharp shower, but after that here was only the very strong breeze to contend with, this was made even more a challenge based on the location and exposed hill fort

A Hummingbird Hawk Moth was around the bramble at the back of the car but did not stay long.  I came across three more as I walked around the area, but all were here and gone before I could raise the camera.

Old Winchester Hill occupies a prominent site and has a circular walk which takes in steep slopes, open grassland and woodland.  The flower rich grasslands have developed on the thin chalky soils that are low in nutrients and this prevents the more vigorous species from dominating the finer herbs such as Thyme and Marjoram.

I set off walking along the top path towards the Hill fort and almost immediately came across the two butterflies I was hoping for, The Marbled White that just flew past and a Dark Green Fritillary which was settle in the overcast conditions.

The Dark Green Fritillary is the most widespread fritillary found in the British Isles and is usually seen flying powerfully over its grassland habitats, frequently stopping to nectar on Thistles and Knapweed. It gets its name from the green hue found on the underside of the hindwings, which are peppered with large silver spots.

The wind was clearly keeping the other butterfly numbers down and aside from the Marbled White and Dark Green Fritillary I didn't see any others until I took the side track from the main path that leads down to the north side of the Hill Fort.

Here there was a Red Admiral and a couple of Hummingbird Hawkmoths and a family party of Blackcaps.  Not sure if this is one of the juveniles or an adult female.

Yet another Comma, they were showing well today, probably just emerged.

Coming through the gate there is a sheltered spot on the right and here I found Small Heath.

And a resting Dark Green Fritillary.

Turning left the path winds around the side of the west and northerly slopes.

With the high clouds and distant views enhancing the horizon the scene lends itself to black and white images.  The medium seem to emphasise the dramatic impact of the clouds and grassland

The grasses are important here and provide some shelter for the butterflies in the wind, both Marbled White and Dark Green Fritillary flying through and around the stems as they bend and sway in the wind.

Reaching the gate that leads to the fort a Yellowhammer was singing from a dead tree.  I diverted from my initial intention of walking down the south slope to get closer to the Yellowhammer.

Bronze age burial mounds for important members of the local society here were erected prominently on the crest of the hill between 4,500 and 3,500 years ago which is incredible to take in.  These are now grassy lumps within the Hill Fort.  The southern and western ramparts were constructed some 2,500 years ago.  The fort is believed to have provided a defence settlement for a Celtic chieftain.  The defences comprise of a single bank and a ditch and it was here on the southern side I found plenty of Pyramidal Orchids.

and in amongst the Common Spotted Orchids several Chalk Fragrant Orchids

There are distinct differences between the plants found on the warm dry south slopes of the fort to those present on the north facing slopes that are damper.  The grasses were full of Ox-eye Daisies, Field Fleawort, Kidney Vetch and Trefoil.

I walked to the bottom of the field amongst the Juniper, but there was little shelter from the wind and hardly any butterflies about aside from Meadow Browns.  Here the view looking down the south slope

More big sky scenery.

Walking around the fort, the north slope provided some shelter from the wind and here there were more Dark Green Fritillary.

Field Fleawort and Common Spotted Orchids

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from another dead tree.

I returned along the path that takes the western slope and then decided to walk down the steep slope, going down is as difficult as coming up!

At the bottom before entering the wood it was sheltered and I finally managed to get a photograph of one of my favourite butterflies, the Marbled White.

I walked through the wood, it was overcast now and there was little sunshine.  In the grass and vegetation along the path there were several Marbled Whites sat on the leaves.

I started the climb up the hill to the car park, more big sky country.

Rather than go straight to the car I turned right and walked to the footpath at the top.  It was very windy now but the Marbled Whites were clinging on, going nowhere in the cloudy conditions.  The challenge was being able to focus with the grass stems whipping about.

There was the threat of rain away to the west so I decided it was time to call it a day, despite the rather difficult weather we had seen quite a bit and enjoyed two wonderful places.